How to Connect to a Military World You Know Nothing About

At Sword & Plough, we find strength in our coalition of veteran community members, charitable partners, and loyal supporters; an essential part of our mission from the start has been to foster understanding between civilian life and the military experience. It can be challenging to really understand the military world without any personal ties to it. So with our core value in mind, we are pleased to share some ideas on how to personally build this connection.

Self-educate and stay current

Whether it’s government policy decisions that affect life on base, the formation of a new veteran advocacy group near you, or a special interest story of a veteran in your hometown, there is always news that affects veterans and active duty service members. By staying abreast of these developments, you can tap into issues that are important to current and former service members to deepen your understanding. Tailoring your news app or social media feed to include related keywords as well as following the social media accounts of veteran supporting nonprofits and government agencies are simple ways to stay current on issues that impact military families.  

Following blogs that share individual experiences, checking out long-established journalistic publications such as Stars and Stripes and other branch-specific news outlets, or picking up a military-life related memoir are all ways to more intimately gain a sense of the personal elements of daily life for servicemembers and their families.

Connect with your local veteran community

Chances are, you have veteran government services, veteran supporting charities, medical facilities, or advocacy groups operating in your community. These organizations often have an online presence where you can explore upcoming events such as charitable functions, celebrations, social gatherings open to the public, and commemorations. By participating on a grassroots level, you’ll be able to engage with the veteran community first-hand, building friendships, connections, and perhaps even making veteran advocacy a part of your own story. Local chapters of the VFW (Veterans of Foreign Wars) are also a  great resource for finding opportunities to get involved in meeting the needs of veterans in your area.

Volunteer

Time is an invaluable resource, and one that veteran supporting groups are often in urgent need of volunteers to ensure their ability to provide veteran support, care, and services. At Sword & Plough, our giving partners often have local chapters or offices; our list here is a great start for seeking out organizations that may have locations in your area that require volunteers to continue their missions.  For decades, the USO (United Service Organization) has relied on volunteers in a wide variety of capacities to provide comfort and assistance to military members and their families; volunteer applications and a directory of locations are easily found on the USO website. The VA (Veterans Affairs) is the primary government organization providing and administering medical treatment, employment assistance, education benefits and financial services to veterans; as such, volunteer opportunities are available that tap into diverse areas of skills, which may be found on the VA’s Voluntary Service page.

Make our story part of your story

 Our story at Sword & Plough began within a military family whose members turned their experience into veteran advocacy, charitable impact, and a mission to bridge the civilian military divide; we hope that the information provided here will further that mission by giving you a place to begin furthering your own understanding of the military community in the broader context of civilian life. Naturally, applying to our Brand Champion Program is yet another way to learn more about and become an active part of this world of servicemembers, veterans, military families, and civilian advocates.

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About the author

Taylor is a Sword & Plough Brand Champion and early childhood educator living outside of Philadelphia.  Coming from a large military family and having a U.S. Marine for a father, Sword & Plough’s commitment to veteran advocacy, environmental sustainability, women in business leadership, and charitable impact continue to inspire her.